Ever wonder what the large terracotta-roofed building on Vicente Street is about? It fronts 10 acres of land once owned by jeans maker Levi Strauss and it became home to the San Francisco Orphan Asylum a century ago.

Back then, the Sunset was entirely wind-swept sand dunes. As housing and development arrived, the former orphanage evolved as well. It was renamed in 1987 and today it’s called the Edgewood Center for Children and Families.

The nonprofit offers care and treatment for children and teens who have suffered abuse and neglect, experienced violence or trauma, or who grapple with serious emotional problems. 

Edgewood serves about 5,000 kids each year. Its Crisis Stabilization Unit is open around the clock to assess and stabilize children and adolescents, ranging in ages from 5-17, at risk for suicide or experiencing an acute mental health crisis.

An on-site community high school offers specialized instruction and therapy for teens who struggle in other school settings. 

Edgewood’s tranquil, grassy setting, along the northern perimeter of Stern Grove, is shaded by 100-year-old trees. Historic cottages that once were home to orphans now provide short-term intensive residential services for up to 12 teens who need safety and stability while receiving treatment from therapists, counselors, and child psychiatrists.

A playground and basketball court are located near an organic garden, which kids tend with guidance from volunteer gardeners. Volunteers also support an arts enrichment program, which includes photography, clay sculpting, and dance.

Children are referred to Edgewood by Kaiser Health, Bay Area hospitals, San Francisco Unified School District, and the Departments of Public Health and Child Welfare. City contracts, insurance, and philanthropy fund its services.

However, the system has limitations, says Edgewood CEO Lynn Dolce. During the pandemic, she heard from Sunset families whose children were suffering from isolation and anxiety.

“We wanted to help,” Lynn says, “but our system wouldn’t allow us to serve children outside our current referral structure.”

That could well change over the next 18 months. 

“We are working on strategic changes that will allow us to help people in our neighborhood with treatment and will connect them with other resources as well,” Lynn says. “Stay tuned.”

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Jan Cook. We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.